Ramsey News~Journal

Headline News

Packed July 4th events
Weather has not been friendly with every celebration in 2008, but Independence Day plans are nonetheless made with high hopes.

This area is blessed with festivities this week and weekend. It began Wednesday evening with opening ceremonies for Herrick's Annual Homecoming and July 4th Celebration then new royalty were crowned. Music is a staple in Herrick and the July Celebration will have lots of it, continuing Thursday evening. Breakfast begins at 6 a.m. July 4th in Carroll Memorial Park, parade at 10:00, foot races and an afternoon of music, then fireworks in Tom Davis Park.

PANA - Kitchell Park is the setting for an Old Fashion Free Concert and Picnic on July 4, produced in part by our own WJLY/WTRH radio station and Pana 1st Church of the Nazarene. Enjoy old fashioned games, a jam session and crafts during mid-day, then gospel music by iPrayz and the Wanda Mountain Boys.

OCONEE - The 13th annual Celebration is Saturday the 5th. A parade kicks off at 4:30 and Oconee Sons of the American Legion man the dinner tent. A Garden Tractor Pull begins at 5:30 and the firemen will provide a Waterball. Fireworks at dark.

More fireworks Sunday evening at Fayette County Fair.

Fayette Co. Fair starts Saturday
Fayette County Fair begins an eight-day run this Saturday at 9:00 a.m. Daily events generally begin at 8 a.m. other days and last into late evenings with grandstand shows, starting with a Demolition Derby Saturday, Junior Miss Pageant and talent show on Sunday, the Fair Queen and Little Miss Pageant, Monday.

Tuesday's grandstand event is the AMA Motocross; Open ITPA Class A Tractor Pull Wednesday evening, Antique Tractor Pull Thursday. C-Bar Rodeo is Friday then AMA Short Track Motorcycles and ATV's, Saturday.

Douglas Rich in National Rodeo this week
Lonnie and Cindy Rich of Herrick and son Douglas are in Gallup, New Mexico, this week as Douglas and dozens of junior high boys and girls compete in the 4th annual Wrangler Junior High Finals Rodeo in Red Rock Park.

Doug and partner Whalen Pickerill of Raymond competed in the first Team Roping and Doug got his steer down and he persisted until the steer down.

Douglas and roping partner Kelsey Ewing of Pana had bad luck in Team Roping and are hoping for a better show in the second go round.

"Things are tough here as they should be," Cindy said Tuesday evening by Email. "This is where the best of the best compete for Championship in their particular events."

In Team Roping on Tuesday, Doug and Whalen placed 2nd with a time of 8.722. Another time like that and they will be in the short go round on Saturday which offers the opportunity for a National Team Roping title.
Doug is also competing in Goat Tying and Breakaway Roping so more from Gallup, NM, next week!

Lions schedule July 23 ear clinic
A date change has been announced by Ramsey Lions Club for free hearing screenings. The new date is Wednesday, July 23 at Ramsey American Legion Hall (nutrition site) from 9:00 a.m. until noon on the 23rd.

Orgill threatens county jobs
Vandalia mayor Ricky Gottman issued this statement during last week's demonstration that the community is eager to retain Orgill Distributing and the employment it offers county residents.

"The City of Vandalia has been involved in negotiations with the site selection consulting firm working for Orgill, Inc., since the announcement was made earlier this year that the company would be seeking a location for a new Midwestern Distribution facility. Local staff and officials have been working diligently since February with the company in an effort to expand and keep Orgill's Distribution Center in Vandalia.

"This past Thursday an an-nouncement was made locally at the Distribution Center that indicated a decision had been made to move the site. However, the City has been informed by the company that no final decision has been made. The City is continuing negotiations with the firm in an effort to retain the business," Gottman concluded.

Hometown Awards
First National Bank hosted its annual Charitable Donation Luncheon on June 24 at the downtown Vandalia facility. Attending were representatives of agencies which received monetary gifts.

Among Ramsey citizens accepting checks were Greg Blackburn, Shirley Eddy, Arlene Rosenberger, Jim Brewer.

Over $15,000 will be donated to area communities throughout the year from the Hometown Support Program, funded through the use of the FNB Hometown Mastercard.

U.S. Rt. 51 needed sandbags
While all sources were brought to bear to battle flooding along the Mississippi River in recent weeks and earlier along rivers in Illinois to the southeast, the issue of massive rainfall has not been unknown to Fayette County. Friday's storm was the most recent example, filling fields and ditches north of Ramsey and spilling onto U. S. Route 51, posing dangerous conditions for southbound motorists (photo right) who were unaware of the sudden flash flood conditions.

Recharged
A resurgence of surface moisture redefines June - a month that began very wet and turned very dry; either of which posed economic disaster.

Hindsight now shows that the two-week dry spell in mid-June was Heaven-sent. Last minute crops were planted, hay was baled, wheat harvest began and it was a good "rooting encouragement" for new plants. Then new, plentiful rainfall recharged the growing season.

June rainfall swelled to 5.07 inches with Sunday afternoon's on again, off again showers. But the real surge came Friday, along with tornado threats. News-Journal staff was captivated with the various cloud layers going in various directions, then witnessed a vortex spinning directly over Ramsey. It was quite high and dissolved after brief moments. A half-hour later the fire siren was activated following the sighting of a funnel a few miles south in Shafter township. No damage reported.

Annual rainfall is now 6.9 inches ahead of the average year and nearly 9 inches ahead of last year as of July 1st when summer was beginning hot and very dry.

Temperatures last week were close to normal until the cool front passed through. Sunday peaked at 74 which is a dozen degrees below normal. Monday and Tuesday began chilly - some 17 degrees cooler and less humid - an ideal start of a summer week!

June was close to average overall; a couple of degrees cooler if anything: 84.2 to 63.2 degrees.

Tornado warnings were issued twice during the month and local lightning was recorded seven days.

Kaskaskia River jumped over its banks briefly in Friday's storm but retreated to its high, in-bank depth while still dewatering Lake Shelbyville which remains 14.5 feet above normal pool.